Automatic air-valve for steam-radiators.



G. D. HOFFMAN. AUTOMATIC AIR VALVE PoR STEAM RADIATORS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1914.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

linlllrllllllln llllllllllllllllllllllllllll y To all'whom it may co btate of California, have inven l 'new and useful Improvements in Automatic 'gkir-Valves for SteanrRadiat/ors, of which *y STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Geenen n. nomme, or PASADENA; CALIFORNIA, AssIGNok To HornrAN srEcIALTY conm, or' BOSTON, xAssAcHUsnrTsA CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTGMATIC AIBPVALVE FOB STEAMiBADIATOBS spammen; of Leners rama.

Aplkltlml led June 5, 1914. Serial No. 843,159.

oem;

13e it known that IGEORGE D. HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, residmg at Pasadena, in the county of Los YAn es and f certain the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an automatic valve for venting a steam radiator of air, adapted not only to auto-` matically close against the emission of steam and water, but also to automatically close against the entrance of outside air into the radiator when the pressure in the radiator and valve goes 'oif temporarily.

The invention "consists in the unprovemeuts which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication,l*`igure repre sents a longitudinal section of an air valve embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. .Fig -1 represents a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all of the gures. I

The casing of my improved air valve 1s composed of a lower or base member and an u per member, said members being detachaly connected. The base member comprises a bottom 13 and a circular Wall 14, rising from .the bottom and internally screwthreaded at 15 to engage an external thread on the upper casing member 16. To the wall 14 of the base member is attached a screwthreaded nipple 17 adapted to engage a tapped orifice in a steam radiator.

18 represents a tubular member seated at its lower end on the bottom 13 and extending .upwardly withinthe upper casing member 16 above the float 19 hereinafter described, said member` and thebottom 13 constituting a lloat chamber. v

The float 19 `is provided with an acting member 19 adapted to' close an air vent 16 lin the upper end'o the casing member 16.

The lioat chamber is provided with a draining stem 20, extending through the Y nipple and having a swiveled terminal 21y Aadapted to project downwardly into the radiator.

annular air space 22'outside the float chamber and communicatng'with the nipple.

The air space 22 forms a art of an air Patented Mar. 16, 19145.y

conduit extending fromr the nipple 17 to the Y upper portion of the casing member 16, entirely outside the float chamber and adapted to conduct air expelled lfrom the radiator through the nipple to the upper portion of the casing and to discharge air into the casing below the vent 16, said conduit being preferably formed partly b the member 18 and partly by longitudinal osses 24 formed on the member 16. The portions of the member 16 between said bosses have a close fit on the cylindrical portion of the tubular member v118 abovethe casing base, so that the bosses form the outer walls and the member 18 the inner walls of :rplurality of air passages. The iloat 19 is preferably of the expansible hermeticallv closed type and is provided with a flexible bottom 19b adapted to deflected or bulged outwardly by the ezpansion by heat of a liquid, such as alcohA inclosed in the float. The deleetion of said bottom which takes place'when steam enters the casing, lifts the float and closes the air vent.

The construction thus far described is in all respects excepting the bearing on which the flexible bottom 19b rests, Substantially like that described in my pending application for Letters Patent of the United States, filed March 29,1913, Serial No. 757,531. In the air valve shown by said ap lication, the bottoni 19b of the float bears directly on the rigid bottom 13 of the casing, said bottom being of crowning form so that its central portion is elevated and forms a fixed seat or bearing for the float bottom, The tubular member 18 differs from that Shown by said application in that its upper end is extended above the bosses 24, and is provided `with an annular bead 18 having an air port 18".

ln earryin out the present invention, I

said seat bein adapted to be de by pressure within the casing to uwer the float and the acting member 19e, and thus Vlos provide a yie ding seat for the float bottom,

' portion of said diaphragm andupward pressure on the P justifient of the abutment, the lat-ter being rotatable inthe stem ered by suchA rotation. y

The cup Iformed by the bottomt34 and rim 33 constitutes a, diaphragm 'holder bearing v Ollth'e bottom'fl .and "ofy Smaller diameter than said bottom. ,'The abutment 36 'is tubular `and operate with the bottom opening-13Min 'l :alsy

' peferably gui portion of the memberI 40'- below .the ."diaphra L orifice 4through which I' diap ragm 30 and pin31 7 The, diaphragm is adapted -to be depressed for-mingen air inlet `commuxiic'urtl.11g with the diaphragm and. with the atmdsphre The' diaphragm is therefore free to be depressed b pressure within the casing. -The v escape o -.water through said air inlet is'. prevented bythe diaphragm and its holder,

the latter havinga watertight leonn'eetion with the-easing bottom 13. vThe pin 31 is e a spider `38 having legs central oriiice'in', which :I havejshown'a for deflected downwardly by a predetermined v degree'of pressure within th e easing, and when so `depressed the float member 19a are correspondingly depressed to open the. vent 16". The vent isltherefore adapted to be automatically opened by a veo ' air from the -radiator fi'llin given increase of cold air pressure in the casing, and is automatically closed by the diaphravm when the vpressure decreases.

It will be seen therefore, that when c old ,the casing, is

v under pressure from approac ing steam, the

air pressure depresses'thediaphragm `3'() and lopens the vent. When the, air-.pressure 1s The bearing at one end and raised or low? l p l 'l has an opening 36* its f bottom, so that the abutment and stem coreltively high.

either anexcess'or a deficiency of resistand the valve released the diaphragm returns to itsnQr-g mal position and case's the closing' olf the vent;4V The action 0f th'e'diaphragrn 'is `inder pendent of temperature, the" diaphragm ing depressed by pressure alone and r.- turned 'to its normal. Lposition when the depressure is absent..

unction ef'any air valve is to Yeat l the radiator of air 'when 'steam enters :it ,and then' close when steam fills .the radiater.' lt 75" happens. however, that when presgoes elfi andthe steam in the radrater b ljs ,to condense,

-v1 .e'd with ,a kpr the pin' 31, saidspring'exerting a ydegree of 1 A pin and o nthe dia- L- ragm 30, which is determined by the ad- -v -to getj'iipsiiiient pressante' out of the radamnfthe exclusin of 2th' air it Yhas once explled,

desirable- This `"exclusion is accio plished bythe diaphragm :B'O its adiunets, .This general 'e ration 'of there e as.

' rme'r applicati" 'and water, v biyltlrue hefoatbi Steamlleat and the y water.. nt vave a step closing the vent" a entrance fof air the van, l. radiator, when the pressure gees pff long as the tem-)intere in" the es he sprl-r1 '137 instable' abutment P36 'enabe 'the -1oo of the diaphragm to fpreure the v`asias t0 be .exactly Ire'llatedf, SQ 'that 5th@- d-iaf phragm will viel. apredtrmined def gres '0f pressre and remain tired luider a lower pressure. It is practically ble to secure uniformity-oftensio'n resistance'to pressure in all the diaphragms made in the usual manner in large uantities.- Prior to thea'djoption `of djstallle ance regulating means, such .as the, abutment 36 and 'the .sprmg supported thereby, necessary tov discard many `diaphrafgrns be cause they were not inherently responsive to the desired predetermined Apressure and had ance. This diilicu'lty is overcome by the said resistance regulating means.

In adjustin an air valveof the described construction r 0r service, the vinspector by turning the abutment 36, which may -be provided with any suitable means for engaging a wrench orlother tool, applies the amount of pressure through the spring 37 to the diaphragm '-to hold the valve ber 19l closed and resist sn 'internalvpressure onvthe diaphragm kof say'six Every valve is adjusted to Iillus-Sallie pressure, and the rresult in notice, is that every radiator equipped with 4the air valve,

freely .vents when the internal pressure 13a meaooe reaches six ounces, and the internal temperature is insufficient to expand the float, as presently described. When the pressure falls below six ounces, the diaphragm 30 reacts and closes the vent against entrance of air therethrough, without regard to the temperature. The flexible bottom 19b of the float (which is in effect a diaphragm), is deiiected by heat when the temperature in the casing rises to about one hundred and ninety degrees F. rhis `deflection of the iloat diaphragm v19b holds the diaphragm 30 at the limit of its downward movement, so that the pin 31 becomes an unyielding seat or support for the oat diaphragm 19h, and the valve member 19a keeps the vent closed as longl as the temperature in the casing remains above one hundred and ninety-live degrees. If there is a decrease of internal pressure below the six ounces and the temperature in the casing remains hundred and ninety-five degrees, the valve member 19a remains closed in spite of the decrease of pressure, but when the temperature falls suliiciently, the float diaphragm 19"' reacts or rises, and the diaphragm 30 returns to its normal position, and holds the valve member 19 closed, even under the conditions last described, until there is again an internal pressure of cold air sulficient to displace the diaphragm 30.

After the abutment 36 has been adjusted it may be secured against the possibility of future adjustment. To permit this the stem 35 may be provided with an orifice 42 through which portions of the screw-thread on the abutment are exposed. Said exposed portions may be distorted to prevent further rotation of the abutment.

The diaphragm and the cup or holder on which it is `mounted 'may be conveniently assembled outside the casing and inserted as one part in the casing, so that it is not necessary to secure the diaphragm by a soldering or brazing operation after it is inserted in the casing and when it is in a relatively inaccessible position. The abutment 3G is in eifcct a part of the dia hragm holder and is applied to the casing t ierewith. The opening 3G in the diaphragm holder (said inlet being formed inthe abutment portion of the holder) cooperates with the bottom opening 13 in the casing in forming the described air inlet communicating with the diaphragm. The Lrelatively small diameter of the cup or holder and diaphragm provides room for the legs oi the pin-guiding spider which therefore bear directly on the casing bottom within the base of the member 18, as shown by Fig. 1.

l claim:

1. An air valve for steam radiators comprising a casing having an air outlet at its upper portion and an opening in its bottom, a ioat movable by heat and by an accumuabove one.

lation of water in the casing and having an outlet-closing member, a diaphragm holder bearing on the bottom of the casing, and a float-supporting diaphragm mounted on said holder and coperating therewith to prevent the escape of water through said bottom opening, the said holder and opening forming an air inlet communicating with the diaphragm.,

2. An' air valve for steam radiators comprising a casing having an air outlet at its upper portion and an opening in its bottom, a fioat movable by heat and by an accumulation of Water in the casing and having an outlet-closing member, bearing on the bottom of the casing, a floatsupporting diaphragm mounted on said holder and coperating therewith to prevent the escape of water through said bottom opening, the said holder and opening forming an air inlet communicating with the diaphragm, and a diaphragni-reinforcing spring carried bythe diaphragm holder.

3. An air valve for steam radiators comprising a casing having an air outlet at its upper portion and an opening in its bottom, a ioat movable by heat and by an accumulation ofwater in the casing and having an outlet-closing member, a diaphragm holder bearing on the bottom of the casing, a floatsupporting diaphragm mounted on said holder and coperating therewith to prevent the escape of water through said bottom opening, the said holder and opening forming anair inlet communicating with the diaphragm, a diaphragm-reinforcing spring carried by the diaphragm holder, and an adjustable abutment for said spring also carried by the diaphragm holder.

4. An air valve for steam radiators comprising a casing having an'air outlet at its upper portion and an opening in its bottom, a loat movable by heat and by an accumulation of water in the casing and having an outlet-closing member, a diaphragm holder bearing on the bottom of the casing, and a float supporting diaphragm mounted on said holder and coperating therewith to prevent the escape of water through said bottom opening, the said holder and opening forming an air inlet communicating with the diaphragm, the said holder being provided with means for limiting the downward movement of the diaphragm.

An air valve for steam radiators comprising a casing having an air outlet at its upper portion and an opening in its bottom, a lioat movable by heat and by an accumulation of water in the casing and having an outlet-closing member, a diaphragm holder bearing on the bottom of the casing, a diaphragm mounted on said holder and co operating therewith to prevent the escape of water through said bottom opening, the said holder and bottom opening forming an a diaphragm holder l air `inlet communicating -with the diaphragm, a pin interposed between the diaphragm and the bottom of the fioat, and a pin-guiding spider having legs bearing on the bottom of the casing between the base wall thereof and the diaphragm holder.

6. An air valve for steam radiators, comprising a casing having an air outlet in its upper portion, a ioat movable by heat and by an accumulation of Water in the casing and having an outlet-closing member, a diaphragm supported by the bottom of the casing and yieldingly supporting the float, the casing having an air, inlet communicating with the diaphragm, and a cup having a water-tight connection with the casing bottom and the diaphragm.

7. An air valve for steam radiators, comprising a casing having an air outlet in its and having an outlet-closing member, a diav phxag'm supported by the bottom of the casing and yieldingly supporting the oat, the l casingv having an opening 1n its bottom, a cup marginally connected with the diaphragm and having a tubular stem projecting through the saidv opening, a spring abutment adjustably engaged with said stem, and a spring interposed between said abutment and the diaphragm.

In testimony whereof I have afixed my signature, in presenoe of two witnesses.

GEORGE D. HOFFMAN. 

